I am very confused as to what the ISRA is doing that pisses so many people off? Why do they have such a terrible reputation? This is a very confusing topic, because on this board at least once I've been told to join them, but it seems as if they are at conflict with my local RA, The Champaign County RA, and my FFL dealer, Concealcarry.org. Someone in IL, please clarify this for me.
Jeff

I am a life member and wondering the same thing. I know the prez Rich Pearson, and he seems like a great guy. I also am best buds with a former board member who resigned in disgust and won't go back. I just don't know. Perhaps the Gunssavelife.com guy is here and can explain. I'd like to know what kind of organization I belong to. Overall, it seems worthwhile, FWIW. I LOVE the quarterly paper--[u][b]The Illinois Shooter[/b][/u].

Here is a link to get info on how the Elitists at the ISRA have been screwing it's members & appearently most either don't know or care about what has been going on. The members now have NO say in what goes on there & the BOD now has total control & does'nt give a rat's ass about what it's PAYING members have to say about it.
[url]http://www.concealcarry.org/[/url]
This is just the latest Bullshit that the ISRA is doing, Fuc*ing pitiful!!!
To: "Concealed Carry, Inc."
Subject: CC NEWS: ISRA TO EXPEL CHAMPAIGN COUNTY RIFLE ASSOCIATION
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 11:32:35 -0500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOOT THE MESSENGER: CHAMPAIGN COUNTY RIFLE ASSOCIATION TO BE EXPELLED
FROM ISRA
By John Birch, President, Concealed Carry, Inc., PO BOX 4597, Oak Brook,
IL 60523 Tel: 630 986-8550
The first shot has been fired by the ISRA over revelations that ISRA
President Richard A. Pearson misappropriated funds from his own
insurance company clients. Apparently the ISRA Board, rather than
investigate their President, is instead trying to kill the messenger. In
this case by expelling the Champaign County Rifle Association (CCRA),
who provided Concealed Carry, Inc. with the relevant documents in this
case. (http://www.concealcarry.org/israscandal.htm)
We want to be on record as saying that Pearson can be a good guy and he
has a lot to offer the gun rights community. However, for appearances
sake alone, being in charge of ISRA or ISRA-PVF money is clearly not a
position healthy for Pearson or the ISRA.
For those unfamiliar with the CCRA, they are the group responsible for
those pro-gun Burma Shave signs you see around the state of Illinois.
The CCRA is also the prime mover behind "Fanny Pack" carry and
introduced Concealed Carry, Inc. to the legalities of same. The CCRA
also authored the Safe Families Act (A concealed carry law) which it now
seems likely was sabotaged by the ISRA so they could later claim
concealed carry as their own issue "just in time
Check out the CCRA web site at: http://www.gunssavelife.com then head on
over to the ISRA web at www.isra.org. Which one do you think is the
activist organization? If I got to be in a fire fight, I want to be in
one with the CCRA. I think you will agree that tossing out the best
grass roots organization in Illinois is one hell of a way for the ISRA
to operate!
Instead of being thanked by the ISRA board, the board has chosen to
punish the CCRA. SHOOT THE MESSENGER SYNDROME.
The ISRA board is in complete denial. Killing off the body of the ISRA
is not going to save it's rotting head. Thanks to the rubber stamp board
that was voted in at the last election we have new by-laws and the
members now have no say in changing the ISRA board.
Ladies and gentleman, the gun rights movement in Illinois is now
officially the captive of one man, Richard Pearson.
There are a few board members left with their own brain and a sense of
integrity (I'd name them here, but I don't want to cause them grief.)
However, I feel certain they will be rooted out and replaced by Pearson
loyalists as soon as possible.

cont.
The right thing to do is to replace Pearson with a respected outsider
with no personal agenda (i.e. former NRA Director Leroy Pyle.) But the
"right thing" is elusive. Most on the board owe their existence to
Pearson and their future is tied to his. As for Pearson, resigning is
not an option. The ISRA is really all he has going so he'll ride this
pony till it or he dies.
Many (to include Concealed Carry, Inc.) warned that the last ISRA
election was a referendum on new by-laws. We failed to make our case and
the Illinois Shooter ravaged us as "out to take over Your ISRA." The
result? It's now "Pearson's ISRA" as the so-called "Vision Team"
candidates were defeated in a land slide defeat of near epic proportion.
So next year, thanks to the new by-laws, Pearson will run uncontested
for ISRA president and it will look like he's in by acclamation. You
read it in CC NEWS first.
Looks like the gun rights movement in Illinois is in for a long hard
Winter.
TEXT OF LETTER RECEIVED BY CONCEALED CARRY, INC. 24 JULY 2001:
Folks:
In a lengthy phone conversation with Jim Butler, I learned that the Bd
of Directors of the ISRA has voted to pass a resolution throwing
Champaign County Rifle Association out of the ISRA. The vote was
9-1-1, Sue Darnall abstained, and Jim butler voted against. The Bd.
was upset, as was Mr. Pearson, that Mr. Boch put a copy of the Ill.
Ins. Dept. consent decree in his case on our website. Some of you are
aware that Mr. Pearson had an attorney send John a "Cease and Desist"
letter, claiming that the Consent decree, where by he admitted to
mishandling insurance premium funds received by him, and agreed to pay
a $13,000 civil fine, and submit his business operations to strict
scrutiny by the Ill. Dept. of Insurance for the next few years, was a
privileged, and private record, that could not be made public. John
obtained a copy of the document from the Ill. Ins. Dept. for $4.00, if
I have the numbers correct. It is a public record, and therefore is
available to the public to inspect, copy and republish. John has since
responded to Mr. Pearson's attorney, with his additional comment that
the Ill. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, the
enforcement arm of the Illinois Supreme Court, which licenses
attorneys, takes a dim view of attorneys who misrepresent facts and the
law to Illinois Citizens. So far, no other response has been received
from the attorney. As for any "slander", truth is an absolute defense,
and publishing a public record so that interested parties might know
the truth, does not constitute slander. Boch wins.

cont.
I do not know what the Board has actually done, as the bylaws do not
give it any authority to "throw out" a grass roots group. It may fire
director, and terminate memberships of members, if grounds can be
shown, but I find nothing in the bylaws that gives the directors the
power to terminate an entire county group for any reason, much less for
exercising its First Amendment rights to not like the conduct of its
President. Sounds Un American, doesn't it?
Please don't lose any sleep over this. I am not going to do so. This
is the ravings of a group of spoiled children, who want to control the
sandbox, but then wonder why no one wants to play with them. It will
pass.
I hope you all are as amused as I am. Paul Vallandigham
(NOTE: Mr. Vallandigham is a member of the Illinois Bar)
ColtShorty
GOA KABA COA JPFO SAF NRA
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted
and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do
these things to other people and I require
the same from them."

...And to further add to the Confusion is this from today's ISRA web site...
-----------------------------------------
Birch Retracts Misleading Statements
On July 24, 2001, John Birch (pictured at right) published misleading statements in his 'Concealed Carry News' about the business affairs of ISRA president Richard Pearson. [img]www.isra.org/birchbw.jpg[/img]
Those misleading comments reflected negatively on the loyal members of the ISRA Board of Directors and the membership as a whole.
On July 31, 2001, attorney David Wheeler sent a written request for retraction to Birch. In making that request, Wheeler stated that the request for retraction would be satisfied if Birch published the contents of Wheeler's letter within 7 days.
On August 2, 2001, Birch published the contents of Wheeler's request for retraction on his Concealed Carry web site. Thus, Birch has complied with the request that he retract his misleading statements of last month.
The ISRA hopes that Birch's agreement to retract his misleading comments is an indication that he and his cohorts will begin acting in a mature, responsible manner.

I lived in the Chicago suburbs for most of my life, up until I got the hell out about six years ago. When I got into guns, I joined the ISRA, among other groups.
The ISRA turns out not to be a gun group -- they are a Republicans-only organization. They repeatedly voiced support for Henry Hyde, even AFTER he sold us out on both Brady and the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban. They supported the campaign of a governor (Ryan? I forget, the one who won just after I left) whose "pro-gun" politics were so strong that when a CCW bill had passed one chamber and was on the verge of barely passing the other, he denounced it and threatened to veto it if it was passed. It died after that.
They supported the Senate campaign of the Republican who lost and later ran for another office on a stronger-gun-control platform.
In short, their record is that they will back ANY Republican, no matter what the Republican's gun politics are, simply because the person is a Republican.
As such, they have completely destroyed any chance that they have of influencing politicians, because the Dems know that they'll get rated badly no matter what they do, and the Republicans know that they'll get supported no matter what they do.
That's why they piss ME off. Other people have other reasons -- there are lots of reasons to think the ISRA is a bunch of bastards.

I don't know what's going on over at the ISRA but I do know this Bird Birch is kinda Suspicious in his own right.....
Smells a bit like like a Disinformation Specialist to me.....Who is this guy? Where did he come from? Kinda Gung-Ho ain't he? Who funds his group? Once spoke with the guy....I smell a Rat...
..I may be wrong, but I've always been a bit on the Suspicious Side....

We're gonna do this again, huh? Okay, here's what [b]BOTH[/b] sides had to say:
[img]http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/Wadman/ISRA1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/Wadman/ISRA2.jpg[/img]
So the ISRA stands accused of not being aggressive enough or doing enough while CCW Inc. stands accused of being way too aggressive to the exclusion of all else. The reason IL is going down the slide is because [b]both[/b] factions are a bunch of babies that can't work together. I've said it before so I'll say it again; you don't see the anti's fighting amongst each other, do you?

In simplest terms, this is very similar to the NRA vs. Neal Knox type debate. If you are famailiar with that, it is almost identical to what is going on here. The ISRA is a shooting and political organization. It does not always take a hard line pro-gun stance, but occasionally compromises. ConcealCarryinc. (John Birch, especially) is pushing hard for a No-Compromise Pro-Gun stance and action to allow a CCW law in Illinois. That grates against some people in both the Shooting community and in the ISRA.
I don't doubt that the ISRA does good in general, but I personally prefer the hard line stance that CCinc. takes.
AFARR

“We live in a society of excuses, pleading for second chances, and unwillingness to take responsibility for our actions,”

AFARR,
I'd like to see more done also. But I can't get over the tactics used by John Birch as well as their goal of CCW in Illinois to the exclusion of all else. It's been said before and we all realize this; Chicago is heavily democratic and will forever stand in the way of CCW. We've got yet another Daley as mayor and the machine is humming right along like clockwork. Shit, it's enough just to keep him from suing manufacturers. I'm sorry to say it, but we live in an embattled state and we can't fight all of them. Need an example? How many public outdoor rifle ranges are within 100 miles of Chicago? RCLRC in Kenosha is private and Bristol is very limited. Since Fox Valley got closed, Buffalo Rock is the only game in town. Lets stem the tide and build more ranges first. We need to increase the population of shooters, not piss off the current ones.

Originally Posted By Bowser:
...And to further add to the Confusion is this from today's ISRA web site...
-----------------------------------------
Birch Retracts Misleading Statements
FROM JOHN BIRCH:
As usual the ISRA is full of fecal matter. Below is the "retraction" they are crowing about while the time bomb ticks in ISRA HQ.
I think the could have used a better of picture of me. My VFW hat makes me look like my Dad!
Hey Bowser...feel free to give me a call...I like suspicious types!
REFERENCE CC NEWS: Shoot the Messenger: Champaign County Rifle Association to Be Expelled from ISRA
Per the request of ISRA President Richard Pearson’s attorney, David A. Wheeler of Chicago based SRZ Law, Concealed Carry, Inc. makes the following retraction:
It has been brought to our attention that the Consent Order signed by Mr. Pearson states that Mr. Pearson and his agency "do not admit" to violations of the Insurance Code. Maybe we implied the violations from the nature of the Consent Order and, if so, we apologize and fully retract any statements that may imply that ISRA President Pearson admitted to violations of the Illinois Insurance Code.
We are attaching a copy of the consent order signed by Mr. Pearson. Read the order and judge for yourself.
(AR15.com users can read the consent order at: http://www.concealcarry.org/pearson.pdf)
John Birch
President
Concealed Carry, Inc.
PO BOX 4597
OAK BROOK IL 60522-4597
Tel: 630 986-8550 Fax: 815 327-1152
www.concealcarry.org
MOLON LABE - COME AND GET THEM